Curriculum English

Here at St James’ Catholic Primary School, we want all children to access high-quality English learning and to develop a love of language and communication. We aim for this love to manifest through their ability to write and through a passion for reading. We strive to develop our children’s ability to use spoken and written language to communicate effectively – to listen, speak, read and write both in and for a wide range of contexts, purposes and audiences. This is not simply developed within the boundaries of a classroom, but is a focal element of St James life, whether it is performing in dramas, assemblies, or leading whole-school liturgical prayers.

We believe it is vital that our children should be able read fluently and with confidence in any subject by the time they are ready to move to secondary school.  This will be achieved when children are able to orchestrate a full range of reading cues, (phonic, graphic, syntactic, and contextual), to monitor their reading and correct their mistakes. Alongside their fluidity of reading, we want our children to develop a passion for reading and for them to want to read for themselves across a variety of genres and text types. Alongside reading, spoken language is at the centre of our school. It is essential that all of our pupils acquire a wide vocabulary, a good understanding of grammar in context and to be able to spell new words by applying the spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time in our school. This is strengthened through our carefully selected, quality-assured schemes and interventions, ensuring all children thrive and reach their greatest potential.

It is essential that our children write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style as necessary. We believe that all children should be encouraged to take pride in the presentation of their writing and aim to develop a legible, joined handwriting style by the time they move to secondary school.  We want our children to understand that all good writers refine and edit their writing before producing a final published copy therefore we want our children to develop independence in being able to identify their own areas for improvement in a piece of writing and to edit their work during and after the writing process.

We recognise that each child has their own starting point upon entry to every year group and progress is measured in line with these starting points to ensure that every child can celebrate success.

Reading

We work on promoting a love of reading for all children and fostering a text-rich environment, where children understand how language works; we will guide them in the development of these skills to ensure they are proficient readers which will, in turn, allow them to interpret texts accurately. Around school, you will see: displays which celebrate authors; inspiring reading corners; and a well-stocked and vibrant library area. In addition to this, throughout the year the importance of reading is enhanced through activities such as World Book Day celebrations and class links with an author. During the first week back at school in September, all classes study the same picture book which enables us to start off the learning for the year with a focus on the importance of reading.

We follow the Sounds Write approach to teaching reading and phonics, with a clear structure of the teaching of sounds developed across the entire school. Our approach is systematic, consistent and rigorous in order for all children to become readers as quickly as possible. We use the same phonics programme across the school providing continuity and a tool for guaranteed progression. We teach phonics in Reception from their first day in school. Children quickly learn that symbols represent sounds, with often one symbol representing more than one sound, and learn how these sounds can be transcribed. Whilst this is essential for reading, it also helps children learn to spell with accuracy. Once children can blend sounds together to read words, they practise reading books that coincide with their phonetical awareness. We instil the belief that all children can read and this increases confidence. Once children develop a secure awareness of phonics and a level of fluency across both the Initial and Extended Code, they will then be exposed to a wider selection of reading material.

Once a child has gained fluency in their reading and has finished all the reading books within our phonics scheme, they will be assessed through the Accelerated Reader Programme to gage their approximate reading age and their ZPD range (a range of reading levels which the child can work within, which will provide them an element of challenge but will not lead to frustration).

From this assessment, pupils may have the opportunity to progress onto our wide range of Accelerated Reader (AR) books, which contain novels and texts that will undoubtedly appeal to all our pupils’ tastes and will capture their imaginations. When a child moves onto AR, they will read within school at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes per session. During this time, teachers will listen to children read individually, focusing on fluency and reading comprehension. Once a child has finished their text, they will complete a test which will assess their understanding and vocabulary. Three times a year, children will perform a STAR reader assessment, which will continue to provide a baseline for each child and will carefully monitor their progress.  Our school councillors have a vital role in sharing Pupil Voice. As representatives of their year groups, they have opportunities to listen to their peers and to act on their behalf by stocking our AR book range each year with the latest requests. This means our reading books are always current, always diverse and will always appeal to the huge range of needs and preferences within our school.

Alongside Accelerated Reader, the children undertake whole-class guided reading sessions with the staff in their class. Within KS1, guided reading books continue to align with our phonics scheme and each book is carefully selected based on a child’s phonetical awareness. In KS2, we have developed a 5-point reading carousel system which focuses on: the shared reading of a core text; spelling patterns of polysyllabic words; a skills teach session; a short write; and a particular SPAG focus drawn from the text. The text is not differentiated, instead, we are proud of our mastery all approach: a principle which allows all children to access greater depth learning through scaffolding and modelling. During Reading comprehension lessons, we use the acronym SWIPER (Summarise/Sequence, Word Meaning/Choice, Infer/Interpret, Predict, Explain/Respond and Retrieve) within these lessons to explore all elements of the reading curriculum.

Writing

We follow the National Curriculum to deliver lessons rich in reading, writing, phonics, spelling, grammar and punctuation throughout our whole school, alongside the use of high-quality texts that are used to deliver all aspects of the English Curriculum. Each book has been carefully chosen to match the National Curriculum reading and writing requirements for each year group, as well as linking with our wider curriculum and half-termly topics. History, geography, science and social themes are areas that are specifically covered and we ensure that our core texts are diverse and inclusive. This structure provides the children with a deeper understanding of a wide range texts which they may not necessarily access within their home life, as well as accentuating our key values of love, respect and tolerance. In all aspects of the curriculum, we emphasise the importance of reading to develop and enhance writing, as well as to see a clear purpose and context for writing.

• Speaking and Listening

As soon as a child enters St James’ Catholic Primary School, we place a great emphasis on developing their language skills. We have a firm belief that, not until children can articulate their thoughts, can they begin to write them down. In line with the latest government Reading Framework, we aim to enhance a child’s oracy skills through discussion, with vocabulary modelled by an adult. Children will also learn to listen to other people’s viewpoints and to articulate opinions through reasoning. Discussions in class will always have a directed focus, whether this will be ‘talk for learning’ or ‘learning to talk.’ Children in both EYFS and KS1 will also be regularly exposed to nursery rhymes, songs and poetry to help develop a fluidity in speaking and patterns within the English language.

The focus on oracy continues as children progress through the school. Storytelling and Talk-for-Writing strategies are used from EYFS through to UKS2 to help develop children’s linguistic and comprehension skills.

• Writing

Children begin the process of mark-making and writing from the moment the enter St James Catholic Primary School. Within our phonics teaching, pupils not only read the sounds but also write the graphemes within the context of words during every session. Within EYFS, children not only have opportunities to write in their English and Topic books, but also as part of their continuous provision. For visitors entering into our Reception classroom, they will immediately be struck by the vast opportunities for motor skill and writing practise even within their play; they can be seen writing lists to make playdoh; inscribing their name within sand; or even drawing street maps and writing road signs in our well-resourced outdoor area. By the time the children move into KS1, they are ready to further their writing successes and are thoroughly prepared for the transition into Year 1.

From Year 1 through to Year 6, writing is evidenced in children’s English books and is taught in cycles based upon a carefully selected core text. Each writing cycle begins with a ‘cold write’ assessment which allows us to monitor the progress children have made by the end of the unit. As the writing cycle progresses, children will develop the skills and understanding needed to become proficient in a particular writing style, with a particular focus on verbal and visual modelling. Here at St James, our pupils’ writing is enriched through the huge variety of trips and educational visits our children are exposed to, providing them with stimuluses and experiences they may otherwise not have the opportunity to access.

We measure the effectiveness and impact of our English curriculum in a variety of ways. We formally assess an extended piece of writing each term, using a consistent format for assessment, which enables progress and attainment to be analysed and evaluated in order to identify the next steps of learning. Moderation of writing takes place in school and in a cluster meeting with other schools to ensure accurate judgements are being made. As well as formal assessments, mini assessments are made at the end of each writing cycle which we called ‘hot writes.’ After assessing a child’s progress across the writing cycle, we are able to gage how secure a pupil is within a particular writing style and provide further interventions if necessary. Our assessment of writing is also supported by the Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust assessment tools which is at the heart of all our literacy planning.

The quality of reading and writing in English is evaluated by learning walks, drop-ins, ‘pupil voice’ discussions and work scrutinies. This informs the subject leader of the impact of new initiatives as well as future areas for improvement. After monitoring, the subject leader provides feedback to SLT/ELT and address areas for development which is then shared with all staff.

Children at St James’ Catholic Primary School enjoy reading regularly both for information and for enjoyment. They are able to discuss the books they have read with enthusiasm and recall of detail. They are able to apply the features of different writing genres and styles to their own work and are able to write for different audiences and purposes. The impact of the English curriculum is clearly developing with our revised way of teaching. There is evidence of progress, sustained learning and transferable skills and children are becoming more confident writers. By the time they are in Upper Key Stage 2, most genres of writing are familiar to them and they are able to apply the skills independently.

Please find our English Curriculum Maps below

• Curriculum Maps English

Please find our SPaG in Writing Progress Map Below

• SPaG in Writing Progression Map